Sociology Exam 2

sex

Sex is typically used to describe socially accepted, perceived biological differences that distinguish males from females.

examples on why sociologists argue gender is socially constructed

Social constructs also change across cultures. Some cultures see women as strong matriarchs, others see that they have no place to speak even in their own homes. These differences demonstrate differences in how gender is socially constructed

understand well of gender

gender is socially constructed

Michel Foucault

homosexuality use to be considered a mental disorder

what do sociologists mean when they say race is a social construct

it is a social construction because it is a set of stories we tell ourselves in order to make sense of the world. Race is not a scientific concept because. "Race" is not real scientifically because it is a social construct by changing over time and across different concepts.

one-drop rule

the belief that "one drop" of black blood makes a person black, a concept that evolved from U.S. laws forbidding miscegenation

Social Class (Karl Marx)

the capitalists who own the means of production, and the much larger proletariat (or 'working class') who must sell their own labour power (See also: wage labour).

example of why race is social construct

the changing meanings and definitions of "whiteness" over time

Sexuality

the complex range of desires, beliefs, and behaviors that are related to erotic physical contact and the cultural arena within which people debate about what kinds of physical desires and behaviors are right, appropriate, and natural

Racialization

the formation of a new racial identity by drawing ideological boundaries of difference around a formerly unnoticed group of people

vertical social mobility

the movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility

horizontal social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within a particular social class, most often a result of changing occupations

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's view on inequality

the only natural inequality among men is the inequality that results from differences in physical strength, for this is the only sort of inequality that exists in the state of nature.

Scientific Racism

the use of scientific theories to support or validate racist attitudes or worldviews; also, to support classification of human beings into distinct biological races

post 1970s changes of family forms

In the post-World War II era in the U.S, the nuclear family- the idealized model of a male breadwinner, a female homemaker, and their dependent children- emerged as the dominant, normative, and mythical model for domestic life.

Marriage go round

Andrew Cherlin, the idealized conception of marriage is currently helping delay age at the first marriage and otherwise shape contemporary American martial patterns.

equality of opportunity

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

example of racialization

all arabs are muslim after 9/11

immigrant families

1. Arriving mostly from Latin America and Asia. 2. Immigrants tend to start families regardless of their educational attainment or income, with the poor marrying and having children at a similar rate compared to their peers with the higher socioeconomic status. 3. Current immigration policy favors family-based reunification rather than education level or labor market skills.

native Americans

1. Columbus called all the people he met Indians, despite their clear cultural differences, because he thought he was in India. 2. Native Americans are plagued by the lowest average socioeconomic status in the U. S 3. They rank among the worst in terms of high school dropout rates and unemployment, which go hand in hand with poor health outcomes such as alcoholism, suicide, and premature death.

Latinx

1. Hispanics are often called an "in between" racial group because of their intermediate status, sandwiched between white and African Americans. 2. Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans all have diverse phenotypical traits that make racial distinctions of a unified Latinx type nearly impossible. 3. Most Cubans consider themselves Hispanic Whites, although their immigration status has changed drastically in recent years

Three Views of Social inequality (reading worksheet 6)

1. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's view 2. The Scottish Enlightenment and Thomas Malthus. 3. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

flat broken families

1. Single mothers rely on a combination of welfare, family, lovers, luck, and creativity to make ends meet. 2. When poor single mothers are faced with the choice between welfare and work. 3. Edin and Lein found that mothers on welfare could cover about three-fifths of their expenses.

blended families

1. The dynamics involved in maintaining a family, both as a whole and in terms of the individual relationships within it, are complicated. 2. A family consisting of a couple and their children from this and all previous relationships. 3. A blended family or stepfamily forms when you and your partner make a life together with the children from one or both of your previous relationships. The process of forming a new, blended family can be both a rewarding and challenging experience

glass ceiling

A metaphor alluding to the invisible barriers that prevent minorities and women from being promoted to top corporate positions.

nuclear family

A nuclear family is familial form consisting of a father, a mother, and their children.

Stratification

A structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society.

Social Class (max weber)

Being composed of those who hold similar life chances, determined not just by income but also by marketable abilities (work experience and qualifications), access to consumer goods and services, and ability to generate investment income.

equality of condition

Equality in all aspects of life, such as wealth, standards of living, medical care, and working conditions.

The Scottish Enlightenment and Thomas Malthus view on inequality

Equality of condition is the idea that the starting point should be equal for everyone. Malthus fought against this idea because he believed in a "survival of the fittest economy" in which those who were able to achieve success were the ones that deserved it.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel view on inequality

For Hegel, the inequality inherent to modern capitalism is a direct result of this social model. A society made up of discrete economic units, each committed to the maximization of its own interests, is bound to generate great wealth, but also great poverty.

gender

Gender denotes a social position namely, the set of social arrangements that are built around normative sex categories

gender

Gender denotes a social position namely, the set of social arrangements that are built around normative sex categories.

conflict between population and resources

If the population of a country is too big in relation to its natural resources, then the country is said to be over-populated. Over population means that the existing capital and natural resources are shared by more human being than they actually can be based on the normative availability.

how is the idealized concept of marriage is changing American martial patterns

Marriage rates since the 1960s have declined and many adults are postponing marriage until later in life.

social mobility

Movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another

difference between race and ethnicity

Race = social fact based on physical difference Ethnicity = Culturally constructed differences

race

Race refers to the concept of dividing people into groups based on various sets of physical characteristics and the process of ascribing social meaning to those groups

examples of black feminists and major contribution

Sojourner Truth, one of the most famous abolitionist and women's rights speeches in American history, "Ain't I a Woman?" She continued to speak out for the rights of African Americans and women during and after the Civil War

equality of outcome

The concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved.

Malthus' Basic Theory

The point of crisis is when the population's expenditure of resources outstrips resources available

difference between income and wealth

Wealth is the value of assets you own, like money and property.Income is the amount you make in a certain period, like your salary.

status hierarchy system

a system of stratification based on social prestige

Intersex

a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes

social class

a group of people with similar backgrounds, incomes, and ways of living

estate system

a politically based system of stratification characterized by limited social mobility

Caste System

a set of rigid social categories that determined not only a person's occupation and economic potential, but also his or her position in society

black feminism

a strand of feminist theory that highlights the multiple disadvantages of gender, class, and race that shape the experiences of nonwhite women

social stratification

a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy

sexuality understanding

socially constructed

eugenics

study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways to improve those qualities

glass escalator

the accelerated promotion of men to the top of a work organization, especially in feminized jobs